Beta 6 of iOS 18 & iPadOS Now Available for Testing
Apple has released iOS 18 beta 6 and iPadOS 18 beta 6 to users involved in the developer beta testing programs. Typically the developer beta arrives first and is soon followed by the same build for public beta testers, suggesting iOS 18 public beta 4 will be available soon too. The 5th betas for iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 were released just a week ago, indicating an accelerated release schedule from Apple as they work to finalize the operating systems.
While beta system software is aimed at professionals and developers, anyone can install iOS 18 beta on iPhone or install iPadOS 18 beta on iPad easily, assuming they’re comfortable with a buggier operating system that does not perform as well as a final version.
Additionally, iOS 18.1 beta 2, iPadOS 18.1 beta 2, macOS Sequoia 15.1 beta 2, macOS Sequoia 15 beta 6, tvOS 18 beta 6, watchOS 11 beta 6, and visionOS 2 beta 6 are also available for beta testers. The .1 releases of betas include Apple Intelligence AI features, but those AI features have strict compatibility requirements, like Apple Silicon Macs and iPhone 15 Pro or better.
iOS 18 for iPhone and iPadOS 18 for iPad include numerous new features and functionalities. Some of the highlights include dark mode icons, a color tinting feature for icons and widgets on the Home Screen, a dedicated Passwords app, the ability to customize Control Center, a completely redesigned Photos app interface that makes it harder to find individual albums and is going to be confusing for some users, new Apple Intelligence AI features that allow for things like AI written emails, a Calculator app for iPad, changes to Notes, a new Distraction Control feature in Safari, and more.
How to Download & Install iOS 18 Beta 6 and iPadOS 18 Beta 6
Be sure you backup to iCloud prior to updating:
- Open the “Settings” app on iOS/iPadOS
- Go to “General”
- Go to “Software Update”
- Select “Update Now” to download and install iOS 18 beta 6
Beta 6 is a smaller update than the last beta update, so it should be relatively fast to install for most users.
Separate from betas, the most recent final stable versions of system software are presently iOS 17.6.1 and iPadOS 17.6.1 as amusingly covered by Jamie, MacOS Sonoma 14.6.1, watchOS 10.6, and tvOS 17.6.
Apple has said the final version of iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 will be released this fall.
